


In Sickness and in Health

by PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes



Series: Paperhat? I'm Down For That [6]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Paperhat - Freeform, Salt, Sick af, doctor sass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11721429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes/pseuds/PaperhatsAndEvilSchemes
Summary: Author can be more easily reached and posts updates more frequently on their tumblr: https://paperhats-and-evil-schemes.tumblr.com/





	In Sickness and in Health

**Author's Note:**

> Author can be more easily reached and posts updates more frequently on their tumblr: https://paperhats-and-evil-schemes.tumblr.com/

The Black Hat manor is very spacious. There are a few rooms in it that hardly  _ever_ see any use, maybe aside from storing random junk. 

Flug could only assume one of those places was where Black Hat disappeared to whenever he fell ill.  
  
It didn’t happen often, mind you. Maybe four or five times a year, sometimes more. But whenever he  _did_ get sick, Dementia, Flug, and 5.0.5. would never see him. He’d always have disappeared, simply leaving them notes that usually read something along the lines of, “Ill. Expect me back within the week. PS: No slacking off while I’m gone!!!” This time was no different. 

  
“So why do you think he does it?”

“Does what? Hole himself away?” Flug questioned back, only half paying attention to the Dementia’s chattering as he fastened some screws on a large, clunky-looking machine he’d been working on. “How am I supposed to know?”  
  
The lizard girl swung her legs back and forth in the air, fiddling around on some sort of handheld video game as she rambled. “Well, you’ve known him the longest. Are you saying you’ve never seen him sick, either?”

“Well, the Evil Flu aside, not really….” At his own words, he paused. He really  _hasn’t_ seen Black Hat when he’s this kind of sick, has he? Well, whatever this kind of sick even  _is_ …..  
  
“I’d bet twenty bucks being eldritch-sick gets  _really_ nasty-looking! Blood and guts spilling out everywhere, a  _total_ mess!” She emphasized the grotesque imagery with an exaggerated ‘bleeeeh’ kind of noise, sticking out her tongue in a twisted smirk.  
  
Flug didn’t look amused. If anything, he was a little annoyed that her first thought would be something so horrible. “Oh come on.” He said flatly, casting her a miffed glance as he tightened the next screw. “Don’t be ridiculous. He probably just doesn’t want to be bothered when he’s  _already_ feeling like crap.”  
  
“Then why’s he so secretive about it, hmmmm?” Her smirk grew wider. “He could just  _order_ us not to bug him. But instead he’s all elusive and vague. Why would he do that unless he was made super-weak and doesn’t want to be seen that way? It’s a conspiiiracyyyy!” Dementia wiggled her fingers at the scientist as she dragged out that last word, snickering, before cursing when she realized she messed up on her game and returning her full attention to that.  
  
Again, Flug paused. Dementia was obviously joking around, but… she kind of had a  _point_. Black Hat’s not usually so  _secretive_ ……. Shaking it off for now, the doctor went back to his machine.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Flug always seems to forget how big this house is until he’s awkwardly blundering through all the corridors in search for something. Or in this case, someone.  
  
He was sure Dementia was just grossly exaggerating something mild, and wasn’t overly worried, but it wouldn’t hurt to just  _check_ on him, right? That’s what you  ** _do_** for the people you love, isn’t it?  
  
Well, in any case, Flug would have to  _find_ him first. Naturally, he wasn’t in any place that saw frequent use, nor was he in his office, so the doctor had to extend his search. The upper floors turned up empty, so all that was left to check was the basement areas, Flug peeking through every door he passed in search of his boss, but so far coming up dry still.   
  
These floors went further down than he thought. And yet the fancy rich-person-house aesthetic still carried through to the bottom floors, There were even those garish maroon-red carpets lining the halls, though they could use a cleaning, judging from those speckles of–  
  
…… Wait….  
  
Is that….?  
  
The doctor knelt down to get a better look at the fabric, and his muscles tensed when his suspicion was confirmed.  
  
That’s Black Hat’s blood, alright. Just a few specs, but that dark green tint was unmistakable.  
  
……. Okay…. Maybe he was getting a  _little_ worried…. Quickening his pace, the doctor sped through the hallways, keeping an eye out for any more blood while trying all the doors and still coming up empty. One, two, three more patches of blood droplets as he went…. the demon  _had_ to be down here  ** _somewhe-_**  
  
His hand fell on the knob of a locked door. He tried it a couple times, just to be sure, then swallowed nervously. “…. Black Hat?”  
  
Silence greeted him at first. Then a low voice from within responded. “….  _Flug?_  What are you  _doing_ here? What-Whatever it is, can it not  _wait!?_ ”  
  
Right off the bat Flug could tell something was really off. His boss’s voice was… strange somehow, low as if speaking any louder might break something, and each word spoken in a sort of…  _forced_ meticulous precision. Like merely  _speaking_ was a struggle right now, but he didn’t want to show it.  
  
“I-I, um…. w-wanted to see how you w-were doing…” With a worried frown, the doctor leaned in close to the door, trying to listen for any unusual sounds from inside. “A-Are you  _okay…?_ ”  
  
Again, it took some moments before he got a response. And when he did, it came through in that overly rigid and precise manner. “Doctor… You are  _not_ … permitted to be ar- _around_ h-he–” He cut himself off, and Flug could swear he heard a weak, irritated hiss from inside. “– _around here right now_.” He forced himself to finish, voice shaking very slightly.  
  
Flug bit his tongue, frown deepening. “Sir, whatever it is, maybe I can  _help….?_  Just… let me–”  
 _  
“Go away, Flug.”_  
  
His voice was far raspier that time. And the scientist was sure he heard the demon trying to muffle a horrid cough, as well as some other ominous sound he couldn’t really identify.  
  
Okay. Fine then. Plan B. Flug simply pulled a paperclip out of the pocket of his coat, bent it into the shape of a pick, and stuck it into the keyhole, working at the lock.  
 _  
“Are you **picking the loc–!?”**_  Black Hat couldn’t even finish his shocked inquiry before breaking down into a fit of coughs, snarling curses under his breath in frustration. There was the sound of movement as the demon started for the door, but the next sound was surely of him stumbling and falling over. He could only resort to angry demands.  ** _“Don-Don’t you DARE open that door, doctor..!!”_** ** _  
_**The lock was quickly done with. Though, Flug was nervous of what awaited him inside, hesitating in opening the door.  
  
Maybe he should just go away as requested. He’ll supposedly be better in a few days anyway, right? Was this really anything to worry about?  
  
…… No. Black Hat’s clearly suffering. He shouldn’t have to do that alone.  
  
Without another second thought, the doctor pushed the door open. The sight that greeted him made his eyes go wide with shock and terror, withdrawing a sharp gasp.  
  
He owes Dementia twenty dollars.

It was something straight out of a horror movie. The walls and floors of this bare empty room were  _drenched_ with blood, some of the substance even splattered across the  _ceiling_ somehow. The demon looked even worse, trying to push himself up from where he had collapsed on the ground, body crawling with extra mouths and eyes, which wouldn’t have been unusual had they not been spilling blood at every opening. There were sickly, otherworldy unidentifiable sounds coming from them too, no doubt a byproduct of this severely ill state.   
  
Black Hat stared in utter shock at how blatantly his order was ignored, or rather, in utter shock at  _Flug_.  ** _“D-Doctor, I-I told you not to–”_** Again, his complaint was cut short as he had to stop talking to hack his lungs out, blood oozing from his main mouth as well and splattering across the floor as he choked.  
 _  
“Black Hat….!”_  Flug gasped in horror. He wasted no time in rushing to the eldritch’s side, falling on his knees next to him and burbling in concerned fear. “Oh god, oh no no no….! W-What’s  _happening_ to you…!?”  
  
“Oh, stop your fretting…” The demon muttered weakly, managing to at least push himself to his knees as well, one hand planted on the floor to hold himself up while the other held his aching head. “Didn’t you read the damned  _note?_ I’ll be–” He paused, visibly wincing as he forced himself to bite back another cough, “–I’ll be  _fine_ _within the week_. I always  _have_ been, this is nothing  _new_.”  
  
Flug’s worry for him was not alleviated. If anything, it was growing, and his boss could tell by his increased fidgeting. “Th-th-that d-doesn’t answer my question….!” He squeaked, hesitantly placing a hand on Black Hat’s shoulder. Blood was seeping through the coat- Hell, he was  _soaked_ with the stuff- and Flug’s eyes scanned the demon up and down with distress. Shifting closer, he asked, “I-Is there anything I can do…!?”  
  
A very slight shiver coursed through the demon’s body at the physical contact. He almost leaned into Flug’s touch out of habit, but was quick to stop himself.  " _N-_ _No_ , Flug. You can–You can  _leave_ while I wait this out.“ Black Hat rasped, eyes narrowing. "And you are  _never_ to– to speak of this ag–” He was cut off once more by a violent series of coughs, and his hand flew to his mouth in an attempt to muffle them and minimize the splatter of blood from it.  
 _  
Damn this **fucking** illness._ Why couldn’t Flug have just  _listened_ and  _stayed away!?_  
  
One more order. One more, and that’ll be his  _last warning_.   
  
He opened his mouth to spit out some bitter threat, but no words came out. Instead, there came a garbled hiss of pain, the demon shrinking away from Flug and doubling over. His body felt like it was on  _fire_ , and he knew a convulsion was coming on soon.  
  
Dammit.  ** _Dammit_**. Not in front of  _him_ , for fuck’s sake. He’ll  _freak_.  
  
“B-Black Hat…?”   
  
Ugh, his voice was  _already_ filled to the brim with worry. Better act fast. “F-Flug, _l-listen to m-me._ ” Black Hat choked, doing everything he could to hold himself together for as long as possible. Which, honestly, didn’t feel like it would be very long at all. “Y-You  ** _really_** don’t want to b-be here, okay?” He withdrew a shaky breath, but that only made him need to cough more and he winced. “J-Just  _l-leave_ , ok-kay..!? I’m  _ord-ordering_ you-!”  
  
He cut himself off, eyes widening slightly with surprise when Flug gently slipped an arm around his shoulders.  
  
“I-I’m not going anywhere. I-I won’t…” Flug trailed off, flinching as he thought of how long this has been going on. How many  _years_ this has been happening right under everyone’s  _nose_. And for what? To protect his 'image’? Probably. The doctor shook his head. “… I won’t leave you to just  _suffer all alone_  like this.”

The demon gave him a dumbfounded stare, speechless. Did he not hear the  _order_ part of that sentence? “F-Flug,  _y-you d-d-don’t–”_  
  
Too late.   
  
Black Hat’s entire body seized up, rigid for  _just_ a moment, before he completely spasmed. With a pained outcry, he doubled over again, blood-covered tentacles reactively bursting from his back with sporadic movements and more blood spurting from the extra mouths along his body as they also made strange, strangled noises of agony.   
  
Everything hurt. It hurt too much to bear. Every muscle, every  _atom_ in his body searing with a burning sting. Everything in his vision had blurred to the point of being indistinguishable, and all he could do was wait helplessly for control over himself to return. Which felt far too long.  
  
When he finally started to come to, his first wonder was why he hadn’t collapsed. He usually found himself on the ground in a quaking mess after such a violent attack.  
  
Then he realized what kept him stable. The shaking doctor was… hugging him. Tightly. Holding him steady, not letting him fall over.  
  
And the demon was shocked to realize that, with what little control he  _did_ have over his limbs, he was weakly clinging to Flug in return. But, try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to let go.  
  
The doctor was shaking like a leaf, and Black Hat could swear he heard apologies muffled with held-back sobs coming from him.  
  
“W-Would you  _quit your blubbering….”_ Black Hat muttered weakly, “You’re making a fuss over  _ **nothing**_ –”  
 _  
“This is **not nothing!!!** ”_ Flug exclaimed, startling the eldritch with his sudden outburst. He took in a trembling breath, gently stroking Black Hat’s back and around the tentacles, and repeated more softly, “Th-This… is  _not nothing…._ ”  
  
Black Hat grimaced, an annoyed sigh coming from him. “Flug–”  
  
Yet again his sentence could not be completed, interrupted by another fierce stab of pain ripping through his entire being, tentacles acting up again and crazily lashing to and fro. With a sharp gasp, the demon reactively pressed himself closer to Flug, eyes squeezing shut. His grip on the scientist tightened as the searing sting intensified, an uncharacteristically feeble, pathetic whimper slipping from his throat.  
  
Flug held on to him as firmly and carefully as he could, gently rubbing in-between his tentacles in some attempt to soothe him. “I-I-I’m right h-here f-for you….” He whispered, voice quivering. “I-It-It’ll b-be ok-kay…”   
  
Black Hat hated this. He  _hated_ that he couldn’t stifle the agonized sounds of pain falling from himself. He  _hated_ that Flug was seeing him this way. And most of all, he  _ **hated**_ that the doctor’s presence was so damn  _comforting_.  ** _Fuck_** , he’s not supposed to be  _grateful_ to him right now, he’s supposed to be  _angry_ at him for being so  _disobedient!_  
  
….Euugh…. honestly though, too exhausted for anger right now…. and Flug is such a relieving contrast to the hurting…. With a begrudging sigh, Black Hat reluctantly allowed himself to lean further into the doctor’s embrace.  
  
Flug continued to lightly rub the demon’s back until the tentacles retracted and his shaking was under control. The doctor took a deep breath of relief. He pulled away just enough so that he could look at the other man’s face and still hold him up, frowning. Carefully, he reached inside Black Hat’s coat, pulling out a handkerchief he knew was kept there (pretty bloodstained as well, but better than nothing). With a soft, light touch, the scientist dabbed at the trickles of blood leaking from Black Hat’s mouth. “You ready to tell me what’s going on with you now…?” Flug asked, voice hesitant and quiet.  
  
“Tch….” Looking away, the demon muttered, “You’re not even supposed to  _see_ this- to  _be here_ \- and now you want me to just- just  _explain_ it to you?” He scoffed. “Yeah. Right.”  
  
“…. W-Well, I’m here  _now_.” The doctor replied, not discouraged by his boss’s bitter response. “And I’m n-not leaving you, s-so you might as well just tell me.” A flicker of worry flashed through his eyes again, and his voice softened. “I-I only want to help….”  
  
Of course he did. Damn doctor, so bloody  _helpful_ … Black Hat glimpsed at his employee’s concern-filled eyes for just a moment, just  _knowing_ he wouldn’t let this go, then sighed and looked away again, shaking his head. “It’s nothing you can help with, doctor. All there is to do is to wait–” The words hitched in his throat, Black Hat flinching as he bit back a cough, “–is to wait it out…” He finished weakly. “There’s no  _point_ in you being here….”  
  
Flug sighed quietly in turn, rubbing the demon’s back again at the held-back cough. With his other hand, he pushed up his bag slightly as to not get blood on it, and placed a gentle kiss on Black Hat’s cheek. “I-I wouldn’t say  _that_ …. E-even if I c-can’t help with your ailment, I can at least try and make you as comfortable as possible, m-maybe I’ll even be able to produce special painkillers or s-something…. W-Whatever it takes, I’ll help you through this, sir.”   
  
Somebody should really start a tally on the amount of times Black Hat’s found himself just staring dumbfoundedly at the doctor, because it’s really starting to add up. “….Hmph…..” Again averting his eyes, he let out an annoyed sigh. “ _Persistent_ , aren’t you….”  
  
“You know it.” Flug agreed with a weak smile, pulling down his bag to its normal position. He stood up. “Can you stand…?”  
 _  
“Of course I can stand!”_  Black Hat snapped in return, as if that should’ve been  _sooo_ obvious. He started to push himself to his feet, to which his body immediately convulsed in protest, refusing to support his weight. Flug reacted quickly, catching him before he could fall.   
  
“A-Are you oka-!?”  
  
“Oh, shut up….” The demon grumbled, though his annoyance was mostly directed at himself rather than Flug at this point. Everything about this is so  _degrading_.   
  
Biting his tongue, Flug carefully slung the grump’s arm over his shoulder to better support him. Surprisingly easy- the doctor wasn’t expecting him to be that limp, honestly….. Looking around the room, Flug frowned. Literally  _no_ furniture to seat him on. Or  _anything_ , for that matter. He didn’t even know a room in this showboat-y mansion could  _look_ so blank. For now, Flug walked him over to a wall and leaned him against it, sitting down next to him. “Y-You still haven’t told me what this is….” _  
_ _  
It’s still none of your **damn business.**_    
  
Or so he was tempted to say, at least. What came out instead was another one of those infuriatingly painful coughs, coupled with sickly, low groans from the writhing openings along his side. What bad timing. 

The demon covered his mouth again to minimize blood spray, and Flug reached for the handkerchief again to wipe away the new trails of the liquid dripping down his chin. Black Hat was too tired to protest.  
  
One more look at Flug’s face told him that the scientist certainly wasn’t going to drop this. But he knew that already at this point. With a harsh sigh like that of a child being forced to apologize to someone they hate, Black Hat finally conceded. “…It’s…….. hrrm, how do I put it..? …..Kind of like overexertion? I suppose? That’s the closest comparison I can think of, anyway…”  
  
“Overexertion?” Flug repeated, head tilting in confusion. “I didn’t know you could even  _get_ overexerted.”  
  
“Like I said, not a  _perfect_ comparison…” Black Hat replied. His face twisted with a hint of demur as he contemplated how else to put it and how much detail he should go into. “It, erm… it’s like….” An irritated frown fell onto his face. With great reluctance, he continued, “… like a 'fine’ for existing without a summoner, I’ve gathered.”  
  
“…….. 'Without a  _summoner._ ’” Flug repeated again, curiosity very piqued. Now  _that_ was an interesting thing to say, especially with how little the scientist actually  _knew_ about his past. “So you–”  
  
The demon held up a hand, an indicator for Flug to shut up. With a deep breath, a very quick ramble of words came out. “ _All_ powers have  _limitations_. Normally my kind’s abilities are limited in that we are restricted to the wishes and commands of a  _summoner_. Since I have  _lacked_ one,  _this_ has beenthe toll taken on me instead.  _That is all you need to know._ ”   
  
“…. I-I see…” Judging from Black Hat’s tone, he did not like this conversation one bit. So, not wanting to bother him further, Flug stopped prying. Maybe the demon would be more willing to talk about that some other time.   
  
So this is kind of like recoil damage. That sort of makes sense, Flug supposed….  
  
Well anyways…. Maybe now’s a good time to drop this subject and do something about that lack of furniture….  
  
Flug got to his feet. “I-I’ll be right back. Don’t, uh, don’t go anywhere?”

“You’re  _kidding_ , right?” The eldritch replied flatly.  
  
Ahehe…. uh…. right…….. Anyways….. Without further ado, the doctor was out the door. But he wasn’t gone long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
“This is ridiculous.”  
  
Black Hat looked hilarious all squatted on the couch and bundled up in the array of striped blankets Flug brought down from upstairs. And what would usually be an intimidating, very unimpressed scowl on his face only added to the hilarity in this case.  
  
“Y-You’ve got to admit though, i-it’s better than just slumping on the f-floor all the time, r-right?” Flug responded, cracking a tiny grin. Shrink ray in one hand and gravitational-distortion ray in the other, Flug positioned the shrunken lab table he had floated down alongside the couch so that it stood a few feet across from Black Hat, then reversed the Shrink Ray’s effects to return it to its original size. “And I brought my lab stuff to work on too, s-so you  _can’t_ say I’m slacking off while I’m down here~”  
  
“Your persistence, while impressive  _I suppose_ , is  ** _very annoying_**.” The demon’s eyes narrowed. “You have  _one last chance_  to get out before I  _kick_ you out.”  
  
“Oh,  _oooh,_ you’re going to  _kick me out?_ In  _your_ condition?  _Oh really?_ ” Flug scoffed as he faced the demon, straightening his back and crossing his arms. Apparently the doctor felt he was in a decent enough position to throw a little sass. “Oh, I’d  _love_ to see  _this_. Go on, sir, kick me out.”  
  
Black Hat’s eyes narrowed further and he let out a bitter huff. A tentacle shakily extended from his back, reaching its way over to the waiting scientist, and….

….. fell limply to the floor a few feet away from him.  
  
“….. Smartass……” Black Hat muttered tiredly in defeat, letting the tentacle sluggishly retract.  
 _  
That’s what I thought,_  Flug opted not to say out loud. With that, he turned away from the eldritch for a moment to set up some equipment on the table.  
  
“This is  _ridiculous!”_  Black Hat said again, fangs bared in annoyance. “I don’t need a damn  _babysitter!_  I am not a  _child!_ ”  
  
“Then don’t  _act_ like one.” The doctor commented absentmindedly as he laid out vials.  
 _ **  
“Excuse me?”**_

 _“N-Nothing!!!”_  Flug peeped with a startled jolt, realizing his mistake immediately. Yeesh, did he  _actually_ say that out _loud!?_ Sass is getting out of hand…..

“…Tch….” Looking away, Black Hat let the comment slide, even if it was only out of a tiredness too debilitating to actually  _do_ anything about it.

Flug let out a silent breath of relief for still being alive, then felt a pang of pity for the eldritch, sneaking a glance at him as he tried to stifle his coughing. He started to walk over, but was signalled to stop with a quick wave of Black Hat’s hand.   
  
With a sigh, Flug changed direction and placed himself in the small grey swivel seat at his desk, getting to work on something or other. Things were quiet for a few minutes.  
  
“….. You know what else this is? A waste of  _money_.” Black Hat muttered suddenly, breaking the silence. “All these things are all going to be bloodsoaked and useless.”  
  
Glancing up from his work, Flug raised an eyebrow. Then a very small smile crept its way beneath his bag. “So I’ll invent a 'clean-ray’ or something. Problem solved.”  
  
“A…….. 'clean-ray’.” The demon repeated, brow quirking in return. “That’s not evil at  _all._ ”  
  
“ _Au contraire!_ ” The doctor flashed him a playful grin, mischief tinting in his eyes. “It’ll be an  _evil_ clean-ray that only works on  _evil_ furniture and laundry, reserved for only the most  _dastardly_ of sanitizings!” He tapped his chin in feigned contemplation, grin widening. “Bidding starts at, let’s saaay…..  _fifty grand_.”  
  
Try as he may to fight it, Black Hat couldn’t help but crack a grin, a weak chuckle escaping him. “I don’t know what’s worse, you thinking that anybody in their right minds would pay that much for such garbage, or  _'dastardly sanitizings’._ ”  
  
Flug’s face perked up instantly, the scientist  _very_ pleasantly surprised that he actually got a  _laugh_ out of that. “Hey, you would be surprised!” He quipped back, jauntily drumming his fingers along the desk. “Not everyone has a 5.0.5. to clean for them, and people can be  _preeeetty_ lazy!” Leaning forwards, he glanced back and forth before whispering as if their customers might hear, “Not to mention much of our clientele aren’t in their right minds in the first place~”  
  
“ _Doctor!_ ” Black Hat snickered again, “It would be  _terrible_ for business if our customers heard you saying such things!”  
  
“Well, am I wrong?” Flug smirked, now leaning back and folding his arms behind his head.  
  
“Snrrk. No, of course not.” The demon grinned. Though his smile was short lived, looking down to avoid Flug’s gaze and lifting the edge of a blanket to his mouth as he violently coughed up blood into them. He grimaced at the noise of his employee quickly rising from his chair. “Oh don’t get up, I’m  _fine–_ ” Unsurprisingly, his declaration of being 'fine’ was cut off by an even worse series of coughs.  
  
Flug was swift in moving from the desk and to his side, seating himself next to him on the couch with those  _absolutely_ _frustrating_ worry-filled eyes.

Black Hat continued to avoid eye contact, staring deadly at the floor. He could feel his muscles stiffening, and had to put every inch of focus into holding back a spasm as long as he could. As a result, his voice came out broken and stuttered. “Y-y-you really d-don’t ha-have to– h-have t-to b-be h-here, do-doctor….”  
  
“I  _want_ to be here.” Flug said quietly. Slow and careful, he wrapped an arm around his boss’s tense body, pulling him close so that he now leaned on the scientist. Voice a gentle murmur, he added, “Just let it happen, sir. D-Don’t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be.”  
  
A shiver went through his body as Flug’s other arm slipped across his blanketed torso and rested a hand on his shoulder, but it was near indistinguishable from the awful shuddering his body was doing at this point. He tried to say something, but that cursed cough was all he could manage. Each wheezy breath was a fight for air, and it sounded like he was choking on his own blood with every inhale he tried to take, the coughing not letting up for even a moment. Not until the tentacles came out again. They ripped out of his back, movements even more sporadic and frenzy-like than before, tearing through the blankets and ripping a good chunk out of the couch.  
  
Flug tensed up when Black Hat failed to stifle a tortured outcry of pure agony when another unbearable wave of pain ravaged his nervous system. He pressed his face onto Flug’s chest, eyes squeezing shut, and he mentally cursed himself for failing to stifle the next humiliating noise to escape him, a weak whine.  
  
Flug was starting to see why he hid himself so far down in the house. He placed a soft kiss on the man’s top hat, delicately rubbing his back as gently as possible.   
  
It took some time before the stabbing pain subsided to a dull ache for now. Breaths heavy with exhaustion, an annoyed sigh left his mouth.   
  
“T-They’re getting worse…” Flug whispered worriedly, caressing Black Hat’s arm.  
  
“They get worse before they get better,” was the tired mutter the demon replied with, looking away. “It’s  _normal_ …. Don’t sound so damn scared…..”  
  
“… I-I’ll t-try…” Flug responded, leaving another kiss on the hat.  
  
They were left in silence again for a few moments longer. Then the doctor got to his feet. “I-I’ll get you some water!” He figured. “Maybe that will help! Just have to slip by 5.0.5. and Dementia again.” He turned towards the door, but paused when his boss piped up.  
  
“Wait. Dementia’s been left with  _no_ capable supervision,  _no_ idea where you disappeared to, probably _bored out of her mind_ , basically  _alone_.”  
  
“Ah… yes….”  
  
“Do you remember what happened  _last_ time we did that?”  
  
Oh yes, Flug remembered it well. She had made the brilliant idea of prank-calling a large portion of clientele, specifically ones with grudges against each other, and scheduled meetings all on the same day. Not to mention the stuff in Flug’s lab she 'accidentally’ broke setting up booby traps for the 'event’. That was….. a chaotic day, to say the least.  
  
“……Uhh….. Good point…..”  
  
“All the more reason for you to drop this dumb little mercy mission and leave me be down here.” The demon smirked.  
  
“I am  _not_ leaving you alone like this down here.” That much, Flug was insistent on. Black Hat merely rolled his eyes. “I-I’m sure she can survive on her own for a few days.”  
  
Black Hat shook his head, burying his face in his hands with an irritated groan. No matter what way this ends up, it’s going to be a headache. His secret was already out with one of his employees, so it’s only a matter of time… Might as well just get it over with  _all_ of them.  
  
He gave a long, frustrated sigh before speaking again. “…. You know what, just…. forget it. Forget about sneaking by them. They’ll have found out eventually.”  
  
Well, it’s not like this experience can get much worse.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
….. Well….. this isn’t  _so_ bad…..  
  
For one, Black Hat never thought he’d ever be  _enjoying_ the feeling of 5.0.5.’s soft, warm fur, but there he was, leaning against the comfy teddy bear like a giant pillow. The bear had curled up on the floor by the couch, as he was too heavy to sit on it without breaking it. Dementia took the couch, laying on her stomach and kicking her legs back and forth in the air. Even  _she_ had been providing adequate company.  
  
“And get this!” Dementia chirped, filling the demon in on the newest edition of Wickedness Weekly, “Y'know that dumb hero that’s been givin’ the Dapperman crew and a bunch of other villains such a hard time lately, 'Eclipse Extraordinaire’?” She flopped over the edge of the couch, tapping a finger on one of the visuals provided on the page, “Guess whose recently-installed Black Hat Org. security system put a stop to the pest?~”  
  
“ _Naturally_.” Black Hat crowed after looking over the picture of the hero’s remains splattered across the ground,“I  _told_ Dapperman that he wouldn’t be disappointed with his purchase.  _Now_ there’s–” He had to pause, taking a moment to quickly bite back a horrible cough, “–there’s some  _proof_ ~” He finished, still with an edge of smug to his voice.  
  
“Bwar…..?” 5.0.5. lifted his head slightly, voice touched with confused concern. The bear must have felt Black’s body seize up.  
 _  
“What?”_  Black Hat snapped, a strain in his tone that was getting harder to conceal.  _“I-'Im f- **fine**.”_  
  
Flug looked up from the small piece of machinery he’d been toying with at his desk when he took notice of the strain. He sounds like he’s about to double over.  
  
“Okay, visiting hours are over!” Flug stated, rising from his chair. “Shoo, you two. He needs some peace and quiet for a while.”  
  
“Awww, pooh.” Dementia pouted in disappointment. The scientist hoisted her off the couch, 5.0.5. helping the demon sit there instead (while he muttered some offhand, not really true comment about being able to move himself, probably).  
  
As Flug escorted them to the door, Dementia flashed him a teasing smirk.“Since when did  _you_ become such a mother hen?”

“Since our resident mother hen fell ill, of course.” He quipped back. _  
_ _  
“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A **MOTHER HEN!?** I’D TURN YOU ALL INTO  **OMELETTES!!!** ”_  
  
Oh great, he wouldn’t last much longer if he kept up that shouting. “Okay really, shoo!” Flug repeated, shooing her out the door and 5.0.5. along with her. “I’ll let you know when you can come back.”   
  
That seemed to satisfy them, and they were soon on their way, Flug closing the door behind them. With them finally out of sight, Black Hat succumbed to the vicious coughing fit he broke down into, body curling up slightly from pain. As usual, Flug was quick to move to his side, holding out his arms in offering. A shaky sigh left Black Hat as he leaned into the embrace, knowing there was no point in pushing Flug away.  
  
The scientist went through what was quickly becoming routine, comfortingly stroking his boss’s back as the violent convulsions took their toll, tentacles spasming and carelessly ripping through the couch’s fabric and splattering blood everywhere, Black Hat doing everything he could to muffle the noises of agony falling from him all the while desperately clinging to Flug in his attempt to hold himself together.  
  
“’ _M-Mother hen’… **bah** …._” Black Hat muttered when he gained control of his voice once more. He didn’t actually sound annoyed though, more so it was just banter to distract himself from the stinging. “You’re all a bunch of pests that can’t even leave me alone for a few days….”  
  
“Aw admit it, you kinda liked their company.” Flug said, offering a weak smile. “I saw how snug you were with 5.0.5., and I bet you  _missed_ hearing about which heroes have been offed by our merch.”  
  
“Hmph.  _Maybe_.” The eldritch shifted slightly to more comfortably lean against Flug, wincing at the movement. When the doctor felt him shudder, he softly caressed Black Hat’s arm, getting a weak, almost inaudible purr from the demon.  
  
This is almost over. He should be better soon. That’s what he had to keep telling himself.   
  
Almost there.  _Almost_.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
“Think you can fix it, 5.0.5…..?”  
  
Flug frowned as he and the bear looked over the damaged couch in contemplation. It had been returned to its original location in one of the spare rooms, but it certainly didn’t go with the fancy, rich-person decor anymore, basically shredded along the back and utterly soaked in blood. Black Hat had ordered them to leave him alone for a while so he could compose himself, so Flug and the others had taken to fixing up the upstairs and returning everything to its proper place in the meantime.  
  
“Bwrr…” 5.0.5. frowned as well, tilting his head. He ran a paw along one of the rips, pulling at a loose shred of fabric and giving Flug a questioning look. “Brrwo?”  
  
“I think I can get you some similar fabric, yeah. So a deep-clean and a new covering and you think it’ll be okay?”   
  
“Why not just get a new one?” Dementia piped up, watching them boredly from where she had been twiddling around a few feet away. “ _Waaay_  less effort.”  
  
Flug was about to shoot back a reply, but they all stopped talking at the sound of clacking shoes entering the room. All attention turned to the door. Black Hat strode inside with his usual steady, confidence-filled gait, just finishing up pulling a glove over his right hand. He walked directly over to his three employees, cold eyes staring through each one of them.  
  
“Let me make something  _very_ clear.” He began, voice low and  _very_ serious, “If any of you  _dare_ bring up the events of the past few days,  _you lose your tongues_. If any of this is to  ** _ever_** come to the knowledge of anyone outside of us four….” Narrowing his eyes, he stepped forwards, leaning forwards until he was mere inches away from them.  _“…. you lose your_ **lives** _.”_ Stepping back again, he straightened his back, looking between the three. “Am I understood?”  
  
“Uh,  _duh!”_  Dementia replied rather bluntly. “We’re not going to go spouting this to the public! C'mon B.H., we wouldn’t do that to ya!”  
  
Flug and 5.0.5. both nodded in agreement. “Our lips are sealed, sir.”  
  
Black Hat’s expression was harsh and unreadable at first, taking a moment to consider their words, before giving a slow nod. “…. Good. Get back to work, then.”  
  
With that, the trio dispersed, each trotting off to their respective posts, Black Hat watching them go.  
  
“…… Flug.” He called just as the doctor was about to leave the room, the harshness in his voice from before seeming to whittle away.  
  
Flug paused, turning around and walking back to the demon with a puzzled tilt of the head. “Yes, sir?”  
  
Errgh…. How to say this…..   
  
“Erm… Well, it’s….. ahem…” His eyes wandered around the room, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to formulate the words. Flug’s expression softened with good humor. “I, er, just wanted to say…. ah….”  
  
The demon’s stammering skidded to a halt when Flug leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re welcome, sir.”  
  
The dumbstricken stare that stuck on the demon’s face made Flug wish he had a camera. “Wh- That’s- I didn’t-” Trying to cover up how easily he was mindread, he spat bitterly, “Th-That’s not– _I-I was going to order you never to do that again, that’s all!_ ”  
  
“Mhm. Whatever you say.” The scientist grinned, clearly aware of his original intention.   
  
Black Hat let out an annoyed huff, trudging over to the door.  _“I_ **mean** _it, doctor! Next time, do_ **not** _do that again!_ _”_ At that, he was off.  
  
Flug rolled his eyes, chuckling at the utter tsundere-ness of his boss. He pulled a pen out of the pocket of his labcoat, casually twirling it in his fingers as he made his way to the lab.  
  
He was  _totally_ going to do it again next time.


End file.
